Ham House

Ham House is full of interesting items including some very interesting tapestries. The one pictured was purchased from someone trying to pay off his gambling debts. It was too large to fit the space; so, at some point, somebody whacked out part of the middle of the picture and just sewed together what was left. You can see that there is only 1/3 of a tree sticking out in the middle of the sky. Whatever was that person thinking when that cut was made? At the opposite end of the room was a tapestry that had been handled much more kindly.

On the other hand, there are some stunning carved stair railings. The pictures are different on both sides of the rail, in a wonderful display of fine artistry. The pictures show the opposite sides of the same piece of railing. Pretty cool, huh?



Also at Ham House is the oldest known teapot in England. (I’m not including a picture as it is not at all impressive. It’s just nice to know that it is there.) There are also the first formal dining room in England (they used leather on the walls as it was easy to clean and didn’t absorb odors) and the first en-suite bathroom in the country. The bathroom was off the lady’s bed chamber but also had its own bed so that she could rest after having a nice hot bath and massage. What a life! There is also a lock of hair in a picture frame of one of the kings. I can’t remember if it is James I, James II or Charles II, but one of them donated a lock of hair as a reward for the family being loyal supporters of the crown.